All In!

Today was that wonderful time where you have planted your final seed, placed your final transplant, and are done with Spring planting. It feels great.

Of particular pleasure is the fact that with minimum ability to plant starts 99% of all items in the garden beds are from seed. I cheated on the Pot Farm as so much of what I had was behind but still managed to get several seed items in.

Growing from seed offers so many benefits. Cost being a large one as most seeds will hold for a year or two, and also there is no worry of bringing in bad soil diseases into your home garden from outside sources. I've seen the disaster this can bring in the U.K. (Club Root being a big one) and that is where I began my "from seed" mission.

Tonight the corner veggie garden looks like this.

We have a bank of raised beds to the left of this that I will post a photo of tomorrow. The bed on the left is filled with brassicas whilst the bed on the right has turnips, leeks, spinich, carrots, etc., etc.

The peas in the far bed are still relatively short. They appear to be healthy as can be but just haven't grabbed the net yet to grow up. We have already picked radishes and spinich and a friend of mine has given me a great idea for using the rhubarb in a low fat dessert.

Our vision is to have a small corner portion of our garden that can supply us with healthy greens for several months of the year without being so labor intrusive as to lose its appeal. The end result should be something that one or two people can putter with an hour or less a day and keep productive and attractive. This will mean planting intensively, rotating and replanting as produce matures, and thinking of those items that will produce well into fall.

Keeping in mind the idea of creating a very productive space whilst also making it attractive and welcoming Richard has anchored a iron holder for three pots that hold red and yellow cherry tomatoes and one that is planted with nasturtiums.

The green elevated rings seen in the garden bed below are plant cages that will be used in the Pot Farm later on but for now mark where the summer squash starts are planted to try to  minimize accidents as we work through the beds.

Last year, whilst I was still using a walker or chair and really wanting to garden, Richard placed a few courgettes in the bed this way and it worked a treat. Hoping for the same result this year!




So, to start the season we have planted:

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Chinese Broccoli/Kale
Chinese Celery
Bok Choi
Spinich
Tom Thumb Lettuce
Heatwave Lettuce
Japanese Lettuce
Tomatoes (4 varieties)
Peppers (6 varieties) I went a little crazy in the pepper dept this year.
Eggplant (Two varieties)
Bush Beans
Snow Peas
Peas
Onions (Walla Walla)
Onions (Spring)
Carrots
Leeks
Turnips (Two varieties)
Radish (4 varieties)
Parsnips
Summer squash (courgettes-4 varieties)
Winter Squash (4 varieties)
Brussel Sprouts
Green Beans (Two varieties)
Cucumbers
Soybeans
Beets...and I might have missed an item or two :)

And as I end this portion of the diary I want to say "Thank you" to Richard for the raised beds, to All American Yards for such solid and careful construction that ended up being exactly what I envisioned, and to my sister Rose for sharing my love of gardening and good (and wise) cooking.